As a tiny, one-room schoolhouse amid farmland, ranches and vineyards in McElmo Canyon, 100-year-old Battle Rock Charter School has an inextricable tie with agriculture largely through its location. But the recent formation of an on-campus 4-H group makes the association official, allowing students in kindergarten through sixth grade to take Ag courses as part of their day-to-day curriculum.
Justine Bayless, a former Cortez Middle School teacher and first-year Battle Rock instructor, says the inclusion of 4-H into the school’s experiential learning model was a natural fit. Since Battle Rock already has on-campus chickens, gardens, and horses nearby, incorporating the 4-H curriculum into the mix makes it a more cohesive part of the hands-on learning that the 28-student school prides itself on.
The group was officially established in January, and staff, volunteer families and 4-H officials have been busy with its launch.
“We have a great parents group that helped with developing the land we have, and had several families come out put in raised beds,” said Bayless. “It’s almost like an art or P.E. elective. We’re treating it like one of those programs, where students get the values, and some of the great work ethic that 4-H instills.”
The one-room schoolhouse, one of four in Colorado, was granted funding this year from Arizona-based nonprofit Lost for a Reason, for new chicken coups and fencing for the new poultry program. Parents and students held a work day to compost and set up gardening areas.
The school is also starting a 4-H equestrian program this spring in conjunction with a neighboring ranch.
Montezuma County 4-H program coordinator Tonya Yates says the inclusion of the Battle Rock 4-H Group boosts the already strong enrollment and participation numbers she is seeing county-wide. One of the first youth-oriented organizations in America, over the past century of its existence, 4-H has changed and developed along with the times to make the program more attractive to new generations. A focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as well as creative arts has over the years been woven into the curriculum to appeal to a broader base of students and get more involved.
This year, Montezuma County has 248 youth enrolled, 45 adult volunteers, 15 youth volunteers and 24 youth groups enrolled.
“We change with the times...I believe this program works; it teaches responsibility, character and accountability,” said Yates. “We’re the number one youth organization for a reason.”